Famous Fortune Fights!
by Andy & Danielle Mayoras

Dennis Hopper

Forbes.com recently featured an article we wrote about our celebrity-based Trial & Heirs' Top Five Estate Planning Tips for Divorcees. Here's a shortened version. Go to Forbes.com for the full article:

1.Update your will and/or trust. Life events like divorces are a critical time to update all estate planning documents with an experienced attorney.

Take the case of Gary Coleman. Since his death, a variety of documents have surfaced purporting to be his will. We know that Gary Coleman was divorced in 2008 from his wife, Shannon Price. It was on an episode of Divorce Court after all! The problem is that Price claims that she's entitled to inherit all of Coleman's assets based on a 2007 handwritten will and as his "common-law wife." Now it looks like the estate will be tied up in a long and nasty fight. If Gary Coleman had an estate planning attorney draft a clear will after his divorce, the impending legal battle may have been avoided.

The recent legal battles between the ailing Dennis Hopper and his wife in divorce court have been well-documented. Here are the Probate Lawyer Blog's articles covering the case, including the Top Ten most hurtful allegations lobbed back and forth (a serious must-read!).

Now that Hopper has passed on due to his prostate cancer, on May 29th, at age 74, TMZ.com is reporting that his widow is already gearing up to challenge his estate in probate court. Victoria Duffy-Hopper claimed that Hopper's divorce filing was motivated by an effort to cut her out of his estate plan.

Reportedly, the couple's prenuptial agreement calls for her to get 25% of his estate and $250,000 in life insurance proceeds, as long as they were both married and living together. Because the divorce was not finalized when he died, they were still married (even though they were separated). But, were they living together?

Duffy-Hopper (according to TMZ) is prepared to challenge the prenup in probate court and will argue they were "living together" because she lived in a house on his property (separate from his house though).

Actor Dennis Hopper, at 73 years of age, is dying from cancer. To make matters worse, he is battling in a nasty divorce that pits his three adult children, from prior marriages, against his wife, Victoria Duffy-Hopper (she's number five for Hopper, if you're keeping score), over whether she'll inherit anything when he passes. Here is The Probate Lawyer Blog's prior article on the case.

Dennis Hopper was already fighting against advanced prostate cancer. Now the 73-year-old actor is turning up the heat in his battle against his wife, 41-year-old Victoria. He filed for divorce in January, and according to published reports, the key factor is his will.

Victoria is a 25% beneficiary under Hopper's will. But, in the case of divorce, the couple's prenuptial agreement says that she gets nothing. And that's the sole motivating factor behind the divorce, according to Victoria. She blames his three children from a prior marriage and says that Dennis is not making rational decisions, due in large part to the medication he's taking.

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Legal Disclaimer

Legal Disclaimer

Nothing in this blog should be relied on as legal advice. The information contained herein does not create an attorney/client relationship. The articles posted are intended for entertainment and general information purposes only. Laws vary state by state. Anyone seeking legal advice for a specific situation should consult a qualified probate lawyer or similar qualified professional in the appropriate state.